Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is celebrating the successful completion of the Armagh City Townscape Heritage scheme, a transformative initiative that has revitalised 12 historic properties across the city centre.

Once underused and in varying states of disrepair, these buildings have now been restored and repurposed into vibrant city accommodation and retail spaces, breathing new life into the heart of Armagh.

The newly transformed properties have introduced nine new retail stores and forty-four modern apartments, enhancing the city’s accommodation options while contributing to a more sustainable and economically resilient city centre.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Stephen Moutray, welcomed the completion of the scheme, stating:

“This initiative is a powerful example of how heritage-led regeneration can deliver real economic benefits. By restoring these buildings and creating new spaces for living and commerce, we’re boosting footfall, supporting local enterprise, and enhancing the overall appeal of our city. It’s an investment in the future prosperity of Armagh.”

The Armagh City Townscape Heritage scheme is a partnership project supported by ABC Council, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department for Communities and the Northern Ireland Housing Executive which has levered in significant private investment leading to a total investment of over £13m in the regeneration of Armagh’s historic city centre. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has brought 26 Townscape Heritage schemes to 24 towns in Northern Ireland.

Nikki McVeigh, Northern Ireland Committee Member for The National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“Armagh City’s buildings are central to its character and distinctiveness with influences from the Medieval to modern periods, and to this day they remain one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has been investing in Armagh since we were established in 1994, using nearly £2million of funding, thanks to National Lottery players the Townscape Heritage project has been securing the future and retaining the character of the City’s built heritage.

At the heart of this scheme is the importance of place, and how place and people interact through heritage to create meaningful spaces for communities. A programme of activities for residents, businesses and visitors to learn more about the iconic built and cultural heritage of Armagh City sat alongside the regeneration of buildings to provide new places to live and work.”

The project was delivered in two strands, capital works to 12 properties located on Upper English Street, Scotch Street, and Barrack Street and an education and activity programme, engaging the community in heritage awareness and skills development. This included the recent public art project, located off Scotch Street, on the side of the TG Hawthorne retail building. Created by artist Fintan Magee, the mural portrays the ‘The Dawn Trio’, three ladies who performed a close harmony at Armagh City Hall during a local concert. Magee has collaborated with Armagh Theatre Company to recreate the image, using locally sourced window glass to symbolically connect the past and present, and reflect the architectural heritage of the city.

Armagh City proudly unveils a striking new mural by artist Fintan Magee, a transformative public art project under the Armagh City Townscape Heritage Scheme. This vibrant artwork breathes new life into the city centre, celebrating Armagh’s rich heritage. Located off Scotch Street on the side of the TG Hawthorne retail building, the mural pays tribute to a 1952 photograph from the Ernest Scott Collection at Armagh County Museum. It depicts ‘The Dawn Trio’—three women who performed close harmony at Armagh City Hall during a local concert. Magee collaborated with Armagh Theatre Company to recreate the image, incorporating locally sourced window glass to symbolically connect past and present, and reflect the architectural heritage of the city.

Click here to view interview with Fintan Magee

A very enjoyable evening was held in Armagh County Club. NI Screen Digital film Archive came to Armagh to show some old black and white clips of Armagh City from the 1900s to the late 1970s. A great crowd attended the event which was delivered as part of the Armagh city townscape heritage scheme.

UTV came to Armagh County Museum to cover this exciting story in December 2024.The link to the story is below:

https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2024-12-16/accidental-time-capsule-thirteen-posters-from-1845-found-in-armagh-renovation

A very successful lime pointing course took place on 5th December 2024 in Armagh. Delivered by Rock Stone Masonry, 13 participants leant new skills in the preparation, use and application of lime, types of lime and their uses on old buildings, dos and don’ts and aftercare after application.

An unexpected discovery was made during renovation works to restore a building in Armagh city centre, as part of the Armagh City Townscape Heritage Scheme. During the removal of a door at a property in Upper English Street, workers made a remarkable discovery of posters dating back to the 1840s!

A part of the Armagh City Townscape heritage scheme, a talk on Armagh Stone was delivered on Tuesday 8th October in Armagh County Club. Joanne Curran a geologist who now works with Consarc spoke about different rock types and the difference between Drumarg Conglomerate and Armagh Limestone. This talk was followed by Roy Rainey owner of Armagh Marble who spoke about the differences and the uses of Armagh stone in the present day. This talk as very well attended by over 30 people.

The slides are available below to view.

Four more Armagh City Centre heritage buildings have been restored as part of a major heritage-led regeneration programme. The Armagh City Townscape Heritage project has invested £2.9 million to bring four historic buildings back into sustainable use with ground level retail and commercial spaces and modern living accommodation on the upper levels.

Councillor Kevin Savage, Chair of the Economic Development and Regeneration Committee said:

“This is a fantastic transformation that has brought vibrancy to this part of the city, with a major works to these vacant and derelict properties. I’m delighted to see the works come to fruition and the many benefits it brings with new businesses already accommodating city centre retail space and increasing footfall to our urban centres.

Dr Sally Montgomery, Northern Ireland Committee Member at The National Lottery Heritage Fund commented:
“Thanks to National Lottery players we have been able to invest in several Townscape Heritage projects in the area and have made a further commitment over the next ten years to invest in the Armagh City, Banbridge, and Craigavon Borough Council area through our Heritage Places initiative.

A part of the Armagh City Townscape heritage scheme, a talk will be delivered on Wednesday 6^th December at 7pm in Armagh County Museum. Sean Barden, Curator of the Museum will provide an overview of Armagh’s large number of datestones.

This is a free talk delivered as part of the Armagh Townscape Heritage Scheme which is funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and ABC Council. To book a place please email: ciara.macneice@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk

One of Armagh’s most historic buildings has risen from the ashes thanks to the multi-million-pound Armagh Townscape Heritage scheme – a partnership project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and building owners.

After being destroyed in a fire over 60 years ago transformative work began in 2021 to rebuild and restore the famous terraced No. 1 Seven House which dates back to the 1770s.  The building now stands tall with two stunning apartments and an office space which is now the new home to CPS Property.

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Alderman Margaret Tinsley, said:

“I’m delighted to see the completion of this historic building and many other buildings across the city as part of the £6.3m heritage regeneration investment project. Historic buildings are part of Armagh’s fabric and I’m thrilled with the progress being made restoring and reviving their beauty.”

Sally Montgomery, Northern Ireland Committee Member at The National Lottery Heritage Fund commented:

“Investing in heritage means investing in the community it belongs to, which is why we are proud to support Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council to restore and regenerate many of the City’s historic buildings and provide an activity programme to increase engagement with heritage through the Townscape Heritage Initiative.”

Owner of No. 1 Seven House on Upper English Street, Colin McKee said:

 “It has been fantastic to see the work over the past few years, reconstructing the building from the ground up. We now have two great apartments and an office space in the heart of the city. A special thanks to Armagh Townscape Heritage Scheme, a wonderful heritage-led-initiative that has supported this property, and many others across the city, restoring and preserving historic buildings for many years to come.”

As one of the oldest cities in Ireland, Armagh is famous for its Georgian façades and listed buildings which are instrumental in giving Armagh its distinctive, unique and historical feel. To date seven projects have been completed across the city, with four properties in progress at Upper English Street, and more set to begin later this year.

Another iconic part of Armagh’s history, restored by support from the Armagh Townscape Heritage Scheme was Armagh’s Golden Teapot.

The Teapot was originated by James Irwin, in 1870, and he used it to attract customers to his family grocery store and café on Scotch Street. It remained there for over a century until it was unfortunately damaged by an articulated-lorry in the 1990s.

It was gifted to and cared for by the Armagh County Museum in climate-controlled storage until recent years.  As part of the Armagh Townscape Heritage Scheme, the teapot has been repaired and restored, and has now checked in as a long-stay guest of the Charlemont Arms Hotel on Upper English Street.

Philip Smith, Building Historian delivered a wonderful talk last evening in Armagh County Museum. Over 40 people attended and learnt about the different sources of online and offline information that are available for researching the social history of old buildings. We learnt about the rich sources of online and offline research such as the John Rocque Map of 1760, HED Historic Map Viewer, Valuation Revision Books, Street Directories, PRONI and various Newspaper Archives etc. A very successful evening with a captive audience who came away skilled to do their own social history research.

This workshop was delivered as part of the Armagh City Townscape Heritage scheme Armagh City Townscape Heritage scheme which is funded by @National Lottery Heritage Fund, ABC Council.

Philip Smith, building historian delivered a great talk in the Armagh Robinson Library in June 2023 on how Armagh City’s buildings have been influenced by different architectural styles, Georgian, Victorian and even Italian.

Many thanks to all who attended. The workshop was delivered as part of the Armagh City Townscape Heritage scheme which is funded by National Lottery heritage Fund and ABC Council.

Armagh’s Golden Teapot is once again gracing the city’s streets and is already turning heads after been installed on the exterior of the Charlemont Arts Hotel Armagh.

The Teapot was originated by James Irwin, in 1870, and he used it to attract customers to his family grocery store and café on Scotch Street. It remained there for over a century until it was unfortunately damaged by an articulated-lorry in the 1990s.

It was gifted then to the Armagh County Museum and had been in climate-controlled storage until recent years, when it was decided it should once again put in a long overdue public appearance.

Thanks to the Armagh City Townscape Heritage Scheme, the teapot has been restored, and has now checked in as a long-stay guest of the popular Lower English Street hotel. An interpretation panel is on the exterior wall where more detail is available on the teapot’s history.

Talk – 20^th June 2023 – ‘Armagh’s Buildings – what their architectural detail can tell us of their history’.

Armagh City Townscape Heritage Scheme are hosting a free talk on Tuesday 20^th June 2023 at 7pm in the Robinson Library Armagh.

The talk will be delivered by Philip Smith, Building Historian and the theme will be ‘Armagh’s Buildings – what their architectural detail can tell us of their history’.

Please email ciara.macneice@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk to book your place.

Armagh Townscape Heritage scheme is jointly funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund and ABC Council.

Interested in researching a particular building in Armagh? This recorded video from April 2023 shows a wide range of historical sources and in-print material to discover the history behind the stone and mortar. The video highlights some key contacts and underused websites that may be of interest to those researching buildings and people in Armagh